Ufuna ukuqopha igabelo lesine uMvelase kwezokusubatha emhlabeni
Inkunzi yomsubathi uBongumusa Mthembu isagaqele ukwephula amarekhodi ngaphambi kokuthi ithathe umhlalaphansi kwezokugijima. UMthembu usebalwa nezingwazi kuComrades Marathon. Usewunqobe amahlandla amathathu lo mjaho okumenza ahlale endaweni yesine ohlwini lwabasubathi abaphethe izicoco eziningi emlandweni weComrades.
Endaweni yokuqala kukhona uBruce Fordyce onezicoco esiyisishiyagalombili bese kuthi endaweni yesibili kubambane u-Arthur Newtown, uHardy Ballington, uWally Hayward noJackie Mekler abaphethe izicoco ezinhlanu.
U-Alan Robbie nguyena oyibambe endaweni yesithathu ngezicoco ezine.
Exoxa nelaboHlanga, uMthembu uphumele obala ngesifiso sakhe sokwephula amarekhodi.
“Kunamarekhodi asamile engisafuna ukuwaphula ngaphambi kokuthi ngithathe umhlalaphansi. Ngisalibheke ngabomvu irekhodi leTwo Oceans, neleComrades Marathon nelika-100 wamakhilomitha emhlabeni. Kuyisifiso sami ukuthi okungenani ngiphathe elilodwa lalamarekhodi. Ngiyazi ukuthi elalapha eNingizimu Afrika ku-100 wamakhilomitha liphethwe yimina kodwa manje sengifuna elomhlaba. Ngizwile ukuthi i-AIU inezinhlelo zokuthi ubekhona ngonyaka ozayo eHolland. Ngowezi-2020 ngangizimisele kakhulu kodwa lo mjaho wahlehliswa ngenxa yokhuvethe,” kusho uMthembu.
UDavid Gatebe uphethe irekhodi lokusuka eMgungundlovu kubhekwe eThekwini kuComrades Marathon (5h18m19s) alibeka ngowezi-2016.
Uma kubhekwe eMgungundlovu, irekhodi lisaphethwe nguLeonid Shvetsov waseRussia (5h24m39s). “Okumqoka kunakho konke wukuzigcina ngigijima emqhudelwaneni ephambili emhlabeni nalapha eNingizimu Afrika. Ngisafisa ukuqhubeka ngenze kahle kuComrades Marathon nakuTwo Oceans okuyimijaho emibili emikhulu emhlabeni. Njengoba sesithola nethuba lokuyogijima emazweni angaphandle, nakhona ngiyafisa ukuzakhela elami igama. Ngifuna ukushiya umlando ozogqugquzela isizukulwane esizolandela emuva kwethu,” kuqhuba uMthembu.
Ngowezi-2019, uMthembu nguyena okhale wemuka neTwo Oceans Marathon.
“Okubaluleke kunakho konke ukuhlonipha into abayenzayo. Ukusubatha yindlela engiziphilisa ngayo kodwa futhi yinto engiyithandayo. Angingenanga kwezokugijima ukuzofuna udumo. Isikhathi sokujima angisimpintshisi kodwa ngiyasakha. Noma yisiphi isikhathi okumele ngiye ngaso angicabangi kaningi ngivele ngishone khona. Ukuzinikela yikona okungigcina ngikuleli zinga engikulona njengamanje. Akulula ukubamba umgqigqo kodwa kubiza ukuzazi nokuzethemba. Yebo, izingqinamba ziyabakhona kodwa kumele ngibhekane nazo njengoba zinjalo ngoba zisuke zizonginika amandla,” kubeka uMthembu.
Lesi sikwebhisi somgijimi siqede endaweni yesibili neyesithathu ku-IAU 100km World Championship ngowezi-2016 nangowezi-2018. ‘’Ukhuvethe, lufike ngesikhathi umuntu engalulindele. Phela ukugijima yindlela umuntu aziphilisa ngayo. Ukumiswa kwemijaho ngenxa yale sifo kusibulele kakhulu kodwa ngenhlanhla mina angiphili impilo yobukhazikhazi. Ngesikhathi kusanemijaho izinto zingihambela kahle angizange ngiyishintshe impilo yami. Angigijimelanga izinto eziphambili nokuyohlala ezindaweni zomntakabani. Ezinye zezinto ezingisizile ekutheni ukhuvethe lungangilambisi. Kungijabulisile ukubona abaxhasi bami bengashintshi. Konke abebenginika kona baqhubekile banginikeza kona. Ukhuvethe lufike ngesikhathi nami sengivele ngizakhele igama. Ngakho bese ngikwazi ukwenza ezinye izinto ezizongifakela imali.” kuphetha uMthembu.
Ngowezi-2019, usize iNingizimu Afrika yabuya nendondo yegolide eRomania emjahweni wamakhilomitha angamashumi amahlanu kuWorld Championship. UMthembu oneminyaka engama-40 udlondlobala ngesivinini kwezokusubatha futhi akungatshazwa ukuthi usazoqhubeka nokwenza kahle.